Salesforce Platform Developer Practice Exam

Which data type can hold a list of records in Salesforce?

1. Map

2. List

3. Set

4. All of the above

The correct answer is: All of the above

The option that indicates all the mentioned data types can hold a list of records is indeed correct because each of these data structures serves different purposes in managing collections in Salesforce Apex. A List is a collection that maintains the order of elements and allows duplicate entries. Therefore, it is commonly used for storing multiple records of the same object type and functions well for operations where the order of retrieval matters. A Map is a collection of key-value pairs, where each unique key maps to a single value. While a Map does not directly hold a list of records, you can use the values in a Map, which could be lists, to retrieve multiple records effectively. A Set is a collection that does not allow duplicate values. While it also holds items, its primary function is to ensure uniqueness among its elements. Therefore, while it can hold records, the context is slightly different since it would only retain each record once. Given these capabilities, it is clear that all these types can be employed to manage collections of records, though the methods of access and uniqueness characteristics differ. This understanding of data types enhances the ability to manipulate collections in Salesforce effectively.